The Waterford Kettering head coach’s original game-ending play call was not successful. But the ensuing tip out to senior Kevin Garwo - and his subsequent 3-pointer at the buzzer - worked to perfection, as the Captains knocked off host Royal Oak, 63-60, Tuesday night.

“The first play was supposed to be a 1-4 low, and Ryan (Nolan) missed, and then Nolan Waugh tipped it back out and Kevin Garwo happened to be in the right place at the right time,” said Phifer, with a big smile on his face. “It surely wasn’t me this time, it was the players.”

Garwo, a spark plug off the bench according to his coach, had a game-high five 3-pointers, and finished with a team-best 18 points to lead the Captains.

“I was feeling it all game and I was confident I could make my shot,” said Garwo, who was mobbed by teammates and Kettering fans after hitting the game-winner. “It wasn’t just myself, but my teammates for putting me in that position all night. I wasn’t surprised (to hit the shot), I knew it was going in as soon as it left my hands.”

At times it did not seem like it would come down to a last-second shot. Kettering jumped out to an early 15-6 lead and extended it to 11 points twice midway through the second. Garwo had three of his 3-pointers and Waugh’s had a pair of inside baskets to lead the way.

But Royal Oak battled back to cut the lead to just three at halftime. Senior David Morris scored all nine of his points in the second quarter to help the Ravens battle back.

Royal Oak began the third quarter as it ended the second, taking its first lead of the game at 35-33 after senior Jovan Martin hit a pair of free throws 2 ½ minutes into the half. But Kettering answered with a 8-0 run to regain the lead at 41-35. Sophomore Bennie Crenshaw scored six points during the run, helping him finish with 14 points in his team’s win.

Royal Oak senior Abe Vincil puts up a shot over Waterford Kettering's Nolan Waugh Tuesday night at Royal Oak High School.

JASON SCHMITT - For Digital First Media

Kettering’s six-point lead to begin the fourth quarter was quickly erased by and 13-6 run by the Ravens. Martin, who saw just four minutes of playing time in the first half after picking up two early fouls, made up for lost time in the second, scoring 16 points - 11 in the fourth quarter alone.

“We got the ball to Jovan as much as we could, and he did a great job for us,” Royal Oak head coach Aaron Smith said. “Him getting two quick fouls in that first half really hurt us. We tried to save those fouls for the second half. At the end of the day, he’s going to learn from that. We’re going to learn from that as a team.”

The win helped Kettering improve to 4-0 on the young season. Prior to Tuesday night, the Captains had picked up a pair of lopsided wins over Holly and Farmington Hills Harrison. This was their second-straight tight one, following up Friday night’s 70-69 win over Warren Cousino.

“This kind of win is important to help the boys stay humble, teach them that they have to play hard the whole game,” Phifer said. “You’re not always going to blow everyone out, sometimes it’s going to be tight and you have to fight your way through adversity.”

Waugh finished with 10 and Zach Belz chipped in with nine for Kettering (4-0).

Nine players scored for the Ravens (0-1), led by Martin (18) and Morris (nine). It was the season opener for Smith’s squad.

“In our scrimmages, and even tonight, we’ve not been starting off the game well, with good ball movement and defensive intensity on the other side of the ball,” Smith said. “That gave Kettering a lot of confidence tonight and put us in a whole the entire game. If we had started the game off better in that first quarter, I think it really helps us in those second, third and fourth quarters.”